No Regrets
by tiriko
Summary: After the great ninja war, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Sai teams up. SasuxSaku.
1. Chapter 1

**New times.. New teams.. Can they be friends again? I'm not gonna tell you.. ;) So read on.**

**And Kishi owns Naruto.. :)**

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**A Team Again..**

Naruto woke up to the annoying beep of the alarm. He put a pillow on his ear, hoping to muffle the irritating noise. It was not helping at all. Yawning, he sat up and turned off the damn thing. That was when he noticed the time. 10:00!

"Oh nooo... they are going to kill me!" Naruto gulped.

Quarter an hour later, he was racing through the streets, aiming for the Hokage building.

"Damn it! I am too late.." He clashed into someone who was coming straight at him.

"Hey- Konohamaru! I'm in a hurry! Catch ya-"

"Naruto nii-san.. Tsunade sama is waiting for you! She was real scary!" Konohamaru, now a chunin by the way, yelled after him.

"I know!" Naruto yelled back, now really worried. Tsunade had called for a meeting this morning. It was 2 weeks since the Great Ninja War had finally come to an end. And Sasuke was back in Konoha. Their fight had went to such a terrible scale that they had been in coma for 5 days. But it had all ended well. Naruto was glad for that. He was still not entirely the Sasuke he once knew. Sasuke was keeping his distance from him, Sakura, and Kakashi sensei. It felt as though he was avoiding them entirely, but still, he had come back.. And that was enough to make Naruto happy.

He burst into the office of Hokage, to find himself facing cold glares. Tsunade was seated in her Hokage chair, Shizune was behind her holding TonTon. And facing her stood Kakashi, Sakura, Sai, Sasuke, Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo.

"Uh-hmm.. I'm sorry I'm late.. Ya know.. I was sleeping you see-" Naruto dropped a sweat.

"NARUTO! I'm tired listening to your silly excuses. So shut up and listen. We are already late." Tsunade was scary, alright.

"Y-Yes Granny Tsunade!" Naruto gulped and walked to Sakura's side, glancing at others. Sakura was looking at him disapprovingly. Kakashi and Sai seemed more sympathetic. Sasuke was not looking at him at all. Karin seemed curious and was almost smiling. Suigetsu was openly grinning with his weird pointed teeth. And Juugo was looking concerned for him.

"Alright. Since everyone is here, let me begin. We will be discussing on your future missions and responsibilities. Sasuke, as I have already told you, you will receive an official pardon soon. But don't take it to your head that all those crimes you did are justified. We are letting you go for the sake of Uchicha clan, and Itachi, who suffered such a brutal fate. You are being given a chance to clear the name of Uchiha, but not only that. You will have to prove your willingness to see yourself as a member of Konoha and protect the village with your life on line. Am I clear, Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Yeah." Sasuke replied, his face a mask.

"Is there anything you want to tell?" Tsunade asked, a little more softly now.

"I have something to say against the rules which were forced upon my clan." Sasuke said.

"Go on." Tsunade prodded.

"For one thing, we have been forced to live in that compound at the edge of Konoha. I realize that this was done purposefully to keep us separate from the rest of Konoha. I don't want that rule to exist any more."

"That will be done. Any thing else?"

"And at least one Uchiha should be a member of advisory council."

"Hm. Let me think on it. I agree with you, but it will take some time to enforce that rule. Alright, we will move on to deciding your teams. Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo.. As you wanted, you three are now cleared to stay in Konoha as the ninjas of Leaf. Your official appointment will be done within a week, and you will be Chunins for now. But once you gain our trust, you will be promoted to Jounin level. Is that alright?"

"Yucks! Me? A chunin?" Suigetsu grimaced.

"Alright with me, Tsunade-sama!" Karin adjusted her glasses.

"Fine." Juugo said.

"Then that is settled." Tsunade said. "Sasuke, Sai, Sakura and Naruto. Starting today, you are all jounins."

"Wow really?" Naruto grinned.

"That's great news! Thank you, Tsunade sama." Sakura smiled.

"We will have to decide the teams now. I will split it up evenly. Kakashi, you will be captain for the team of Juugo, Suigetsu and Karin until they become Jounins. It should be fine with Juugo since he has learnt to control his transformation. Is that alright, Kakashi?"

"Sure. No problem." Kakashi smiled.

"Then that is fixed. Now Sakura, Sai, Naruto and Sasuke will form the other team."

Naruto smiled. They were a team again! Well, except for Kakashi-sensei.

"Alright!" Naruto cheered. He glanced at Sasuke, who was being expressionless as usual.

"And Sakura, you will be the team captain." Tsunade added.

"Wha- me?! But Tsunade sama-" Sakura glanced at Naruto and Sasuke.

"Only you can manage this team, Sakura. If either Naruto or Sasuke gets to be the captain, they will end up killing each other. And Sai is not yet emotionally knowledgeable. So it has to be you. You have good analytical abilities and can be neutral when required. Can I count on you, Sakura?" Tsunade asked.

"Y-Yes! Tsunade-sama!" Sakura said.

"That is settled then. Any questions?" Tsunade waited a moment before she dismissed them. "You can go now."

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**I couldn't split them up any other way, could I? XD If you have any suggestions/reviews, let me know.. :) :) The real plot is just getting started in the next chapter.. so read on.. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Changes**

It was almost noon.. but the heavy dark clouds floating across the sky confused the fact. A light drizzle was falling, and the warning rumble of thunder was making people glance up at the sky nervously.

A chilling breeze swept her pink hair into her face and Sakura felt a shiver run through her as if in answer. The drizzle turned into a heavy downpour as it beat the roofs and roads in a roaring clatter. She was glad that Naruto and Kakashi were walking on her either side. It somehow made her feel content although the three of them were being unusually quiet.

Sakura thought back to the happenings at Tsunade's office. She had known beforehand about the split up of the teams. But she had never expected her to be the captain. She was not quite comfortable with that, knowing she was the weakest among them in terms of strength.. and also because of Sasuke. He was not the most friendly person she had known, but now that he ignored them completely, it was making things even worse for them. She sighed and glanced at Naruto. She could see that he was feeling it too.. the coldness they were receiving from Sasuke was not a complete surprise, but still, deep inside their hearts, they had been wishing that he would behave like the old Sasuke they knew.

"Sakura, Naruto.." Kakashi's voice shook her out of her own thoughts and she glanced up to see Kakashi studying them both. "I guess we are all thinking the same thing."

Sakura nodded, while Naruto sighed. "What should we do.. Kakashi-sensei? Now that you are not going to be there to smooth things down, I am really getting worried.. Umm.. Sakura-chan.. it's not that I doubt your skills or anything.." Naruto glanced at her.

"I'm feeling the same too, Naruto.." Sakura assured him.

"I know, guys.. but even if I had been on your team, it wouldn't have made that big a difference. The best we can hope, is for him to get over it while you do your missions together." Kakashi said.

"When is the mission starting, by the way?" Naruto asked.

"It will be tomorrow, Naruto. She gave a B-rank mission, considering that this is my first time as captain. Maybe also because of these uncertainties with Sasuke."

"Don't worry.. you will do just fine, Sakura!" Kakashi smiled at her.

"Yeah! And if you need help, the future Hokage will be just nearby!" Naruto grinned.

"Ah! That is why I'm so worried." Sakura faked worrying.

"Sakura-chan! Not fair!" Naruto pouted.

"Guys.. I've some business to take care of.. See ya later! Don't stand in the rain for too long.. You'll catch a cold. And have fun with Sasuke and Sai!" Kakashi teased.

Sakura and Naruto groaned.

Kakashi was gone in a poof.

"That reminds me, I haven't informed them about the mission yet. Coming with me, Naruto? I'm a little ah- worried to meet them by myself.." Sakura admitted to Naruto.

"Is it a date, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked enthusiastically, hands behind his head.

"No idiot! This is a entirely official! And now that Sasuke-kun is back, I can't really go on dates with you, you know.." Sakura stuck out her tongue.

"Whaaa- Sakura-chan.. That's so meaaan! You can't leave me for that bastard...!"

Sakura chuckled at Naruto's wail. Some people are so hard to discourage..

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**Well? Well? What are you thinking? NEXT CHAPTER: SASUKE SLAPPED! Waaaiiitt.. don't go.. You are forgetting something! REVIEW! Pleeeeaaasseee... :3 **


	3. Chapter 3

**The Pain called Love..**

Rain was still pouring down on them as Sakura and Naruto walked through the streets of Konoha in search of Sai. They found him standing on the ledge of his apartment, gazing at the dark sky.

"SAIIII!" Naruto yelled at him from below.

"Oh! Naruto and Sakura?" Sai raised his eyebrows and jumped down, landing in front of the two. "I was thinking of coming to meet you, Sakura."

"What did you mean by that?" Naruto slitted his eyes, suspicious.

"Cut it out! Naruto! Sai.. We are going on mission tomorrow. So get ready and let us meet at the gate at sharp 8." Sakura told him.

"Alright." Sai said, giving his practiced smile.

"Then let us go, Naruto. We need to inform Sasuke too." Sakura said, nervously.

"Um.. Sakura.. Will it be an annoyance if I came with you to meet Sasuke-kun? I read somewhere that if you are introduced to a person informally, it will make teamwork go smoother." Sai asked her.

"Not at all, Sai. You can come with us. But try not to provoke him, alright? He may not be as understanding as we are." Sakura told him.

"I will make sure I behave politely, Sakura." Sai smiled.

"Alright then! Let's go!" Naruto said cheerfully.

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He looked up at the sky, rain falling on his face harshly, as if to remind him of the pains of a distant past and break through the strong barrier of his unfeeling face. He closed his eyes as it poured down his cheeks like tears. Nothing will make me forget your pain, Nii-san.. It is the least I can do for you.

"Sasuke.. " Karin whispered, gazing at him worriedly.

Suigetsu and Juugo were engaged in an argument about who is more weird in their team Taka. Sasuke shut out their chatter from his mind as he thought back to Itachi's final words.. "Whatever happens from now on.. I will always love you, Sasuke." A sting of pain ebbed through his heart. Itachi, Father, Mother.. once they had meant everything to him.. they were his world, his goal, his joy. The hollowness in his heart that was left behind was not something that would fade away with time. His dreams lied in the past. He wished he had died in his battle with Naruto. But no, Naruto had stubbornly chosen to leave him alive, to leave him to a life devoid of meaning, devoid of happiness.. What was left was this despicable feeling of helplessness, of a suffering that left him so disgusted with himself..

"Hey! It seems your new teammates are eager to meet you.. Sasuke!" Suigetsu's voice shook him out of his thoughts. As he turned, he saw three figures approaching them from a distance. What the hell did they want, now? He thought, anger swelling up inside him.

"SASUKE!" Naruto was yelling at him, waving his hand.

"Hey.. you're lucky mate. You got a cute pink-haired girl as a teammate, while we are stuck here with a certain red-headed bi- OWWW!" Suigetsu's head turned into water as Karin punched him squarely in the face, bristling.

"Open your disgusting mouth again and I'll boil you right away." She warned him.

"See what I meant?" Suigetsu made a face at Sasuke.

"What is all the commotion here?" Naruto was near enough to catch a glimpse of the exchange between Karin and Suigetsu.

"Aww.. we were just discussing the best way to kill Karin. You got any ideas?" Suigetsu winked at Naruto.

"Uh.. why do you wanna kill her, anyway? She seems nice to me.." Naruto frowned at Karin.

"Yeah! Tell him, Naruto! After all, I'm an Uzumaki like you.. We should look out for each other.." Karin smiled, clasping her hands together happily.

"You don't know her, man!" Suigetsu complained. "She can be very bitchy, not at all like Sakura." Suigetsu smiled flirtingly at Sakura, who turned pink.

"Hm.. That sounds a lot like Sakura, though.." Naruto pouted. "NOO- SAKURA-CHAN! I din't mean like that- ya know-" Naruto gulped as Sakura stiffened and turned from pink to beet red.

"YOU FOOL!" The punch landed right on Naruto's cheek, throwing him back several feet.

"That was awes-" Suigetsu was cut-off by a chill-toned Sasuke.

"Why did you come here?" Sasuke asked Sakura. It was more of a threat than a question.

Sakura turned to Sasuke, her face suddenly serious. "Sasuke, I wanted to inform you that our mission will start tomorrow. We will meet at the gates at 8 in the morning. And it will be a B-rank mission."

"I'll come. You three can leave us now." Sasuke said curtly.

"Uh.. and Sasuke, you have met Sai before, right? He wanted to-" Sakura glanced nervously at Sai, who was watching all the events, smiling.

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Sasuke cut her off.

Naruto glared at Sasuke, his fists curling at his sides.

"Teme.. why are you treating us so coldly?" Naruto asked.

"Just. get. the. hell. out. of. here. I'm not interested in hearing your useless babbles." Sasuke replied coldly.

It was the end of Naruto's patience. He charged ahead and caught hold of Sasuke's collars, clasping it so tightly that Sasuke's eyes slitted in anger.

"Naruto, get your hands off Sasuke." Sakura said, her voice dangerously close to anger.

Naruto glanced at Sakura, and slowly loosened his grip on Sasuke. He gritted his teeth and glared at him as he took a step backwards.

Sakura slowly walked towards Sasuke, her hands shaking visibly at her sides.

She stopped when she was a foot away from him and stared, her eyes burning with anger. Next moment, she raised her right hand and slapped him full on his cheek, the strength of the force turning his head almost backwards.

At first Sasuke did not feel any pain, just the surprise of the sudden blow. Then slowly, the pain crept up. His cheek burnt, and his anger flared up, ready to explode, as he curled his fists tightly and turned his head to face Sakura again.

Their eyes met. Those green eyes.. Anger was burning in them just seconds ago.. But now, they were swelling up with tears. The sadness in her eyes sent a twinge of guilt running through his own mind as he stared at them in confusion.

Abruptly, she turned away and walked back at a fast pace, leaving everyone except Sasuke staring at her back with jaws hanging open. Sasuke gazed at her, with fists still curled and cheek still burning. She rounded the corner and disappeared.

It took several minutes for them to regain their composure. Naruto shook his head in awe and turned his gaze to Sasuke.

"We know you are suffering, Sasuke. And we know it better than any one else. That is why it hurts when you behave like that." He told him, and without waiting for an answer, he raced of after Sakura.

"Uh.. I read somewhe-" Sai started.

"Do you want me to kill you?" Sasuke asked through gritted teeth, without looking at him.

Sai smiled and turned to go. "Just wanted to say bye. Even I know how to behave better than you, Sasuke-kun." He told, already racing after his teammates.

Sasuke stared after them. Emotions of anger and loathing boiled up inside him.. till they were slowly pushed away by an unbearable pain.

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**I have been wishing for this scene so much, that I ended up writing it myself... ;) Hope you liked it. And why am I not getting much reviews? :s Please tell me where I need to improve.. I would really appreciate it.. :) Keep reading.. It's going to get better and funnier.. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sai's Secret**

Karin stood there, dumbfounded, as she watched Sakura's back. That girl.. she had been sure that Sakura was in love with Sasuke.. What she had expected from her was something more along the lines of how she was herself.. may be tears or even a few curses.. But slapping Sasuke like that! It was not something Karin could do on a whim, even if she was boiling with anger. She had a huge crush on Sasuke.. but there was something that made her keep a safe distance, whether it was her own fears or the coldness in his behavior, she did not know.. Whatever it was, she knew deep inside that Sasuke was out of her reach, especially since he had tried to kill her.

She had to admire Sakura. It took that much guts to slap someone as cold-hearted and strong as Sasuke, when her strength was not even comparable. And it took much more than guts to keep loving someone after they tried to destroy you, your friends and your entire village. Her own little crush was nothing compared to the depth of her feelings for him.

She closed her eyes and sighed. This was true love. When she opened them, Sasuke was staring after them in such a sad way that her hands reached out for him involuntarily. She clasped his hand tight in her own, but could not think of anything to say that would comfort him.

"Maaan! I take back what I said before, Sasuke. I guess I will be safer with Karin." Suigetsu said, though his face was as serious as it could be.

"Sasuke.. they were your teammates before you left Konoha, right? It is strange, but they still seem to care a lot for you, after all you have done. You are lucky." Juugo said softly.

"I know." Sasuke said in a low voice, almost as if he was speaking to himself. "And that is why I have to keep them away from me."

"What do you mean?" Juugo asked him.

"It's nothing you would want to burden yourself with." Sasuke replied, almost curtly. "Can you all leave me alone for a while?"

"Aww.. there you go again..?" Suigetsu teased him.

"Alright, if that is how you want it, we will leave you for now, Sasuke. But don't you dare do something foolish without us, ya know.." Karin told him.

"Hn." Sasuke told them.

"Let's go, then." Juugo said. They started walking away when three words stopped them dead on their tracks.

"Thank you, guys." Sasuke said casually, as if it was something he told them every day. Something was definitely weird.

* * *

Sakura yawned as she woke up early the next morning. She still felt tired.. She had not slept much during the night, as the thoughts of what had happened with Sasuke rolled over and over in her head, and she was too anxious about their mission. She almost wanted to run to Tsunade-sama and tell her to make any one else the captain. She felt like she was too weak to handle this herself. Oh.. only if Kakashi sensei had been there.. She thought dejectedly.

She dressed up and left for the gate, a little nervous on having to face them all, especially Sasuke. She should not have slapped him like that, she regretted. She was so lost in her own world of thoughts that she did not sense Naruto approaching her, until he was walking by her side.

"Oh! Naruto! I din't see you coming.." Sakura said, surprised.

"Good-morning Sakura-chan! How do I look in this jounin outfit? Awesome like a real jounin, right?!" Naruto was almost bubbling over with enthusiasm.

"You are already a real jounin, Naruto!" Sakura pointed out, her palm on her face.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot about that! Heheh.. Are you still upset on what happened yesterday?" Naruto asked, cheerfully.

His bright face made her feel a little better, and she smiled. "Yeah, I am thinking I shouldn't have done that." Sakura stared ahead blankly.

"Hey! Don't worry about that, Sakura-chan! You were just awesome.." Naruto grinned. "Actually, I am looking forward to more of those slaps.. Hehe.. You should have seen his face when you left. It was priceless! I've never seen him look like that; not even when I beat him in that battle!"

"Don't be so happy about it, you idiot!" Sakura scolded him, though she felt a little less guilty now.

"Yeah.. But anyway, that should beat some sense into Sasuke." Naruto said.

They were near the gate now. They could see Sasuke and Sai, waiting for them just outside, a mile apart from each other.

"This is going to be real tough." Sakura observed, sighing.

"Uzumaki Naruto is with you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned at her, his hands on his headband. "We will face it together, as we always have." He said more seriously. Naruto's words lifted her spirits. They approached them together.

"Good morning! Sasuke! Sai! And Sasuke.. you look funny in that jounin uniform!" Naruto yelled at them.

"I did not ask your opinion about it." Sasuke told him flatly.

There we go again. Sakura thought.

"Listen guys, I need to tell you more about the mission. We are heading for the northern border of Fire country. It seems there has been a gang of poachers sneaking about in that area for a pretty long time now. And with each day, they are becoming more and more bold. According to Tsunade-sama, there are no ninjas involved. So it should be an easy task for us. But don't get too confident. First of all, we don't have a clue on their numbers or their strength. And if they have political links, there might be a chance that they have ninjas among them. So let us proceed with caution, alright?"

"Got it! Sakura-chan! It will be a piece of cake for us." Naruto boasted.

"Tell that after the mission is completed, Naruto!" Sakura scolded.

"How many days will it take to reach there?" Sai asked.

"It should take about two days. There are no villages in the way we are heading. So we will need to set up a camp in the forest." Sakura told them.

The mission started off. The team raced ahead through the trees, heading north. Sakura was leading them, with Sai along her while Naruto and Sasuke brought up the rear. Sakura occasionally consulted Sai for directions, who would draw an eagle and send it flying for inspecting the landscape ahead.

"Sasuke, did Kakashi's team start on their mission today?" Naruto asked, more to break the uncomfortable tension than anything else.

"Go ask them." Sasuke replied.

"Teme.. I was just asking a simple question." Naruto gritted his teeth.

"Don't bother." Was the plain reply.

Naruto was about to retort when he caught sight of Sakura, glancing back. Sighing, he bit his tongue. He was not going to ruin it for her.

They raced ahead in silence for what seemed like forever. Naruto was getting sick of this. Is this what he so persistently chased after Sasuke, for three long years?

Sai slowed his pace as he let him and Sasuke catch up. Naruto was almost relieved to have Sai by his side.

"Sai, are we any nearer?" Naruto asked him.

"Not yet. There is still a lot of distance to cover. By the morning on day after tomorrow, we will reach there."

"That is too long.." Naruto complained. He was almost missing Kakashi-sensei now. He would have known how to lighten up the general mood.

"Sasuke-kun, there is something I wanted to tell you." Sai said, glancing at Sasuke.

"It better not be any thing silly.. I won't restrain myself this time." Sasuke warned.

"Actually, I think you will be interested in knowing this. At the time when Danzo died at your hands, Tsunade-sama had started an investigation on every detail of the root anbu. And recently, something has shown up that was unexpected. They found that many of the root anbu are of Uchiha clan."

"What? Explain." Sasuke's interests suddenly picked up.

"When the Uchiha clan was massacred, many children were taken captive by Danzo. They were forced to undergo a special training, which were aimed at killing the emotions completely. At the end of five years of extreme training, they would be asked to fight their own teammates."

"That wretched filth.. Trying to suppress the power of Sharingan.." Sasuke swore. "And what happened to them? Did they all die?"

"Many of them died in the fights. Those who emerged as winners were few. But among them, many went mentally unstable and had to be killed. Almost all of the remaining few who were still sane ran off, hiding their identities and past, after they heard of Danzo's death."

"Almost? Are there any left?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Sai.

"Yes. Two are left. One of them is currently in Tsunade-sama's office, working as her personal anbu. The other one is myself." Sai said.

".."

"You are an Uchiha?! Sai.. you never told us that!" Naruto pouted.

"I came to know about this only yesterday. And Sakura-chan already knows directly from Tsunade-sama. We were told to make sure we did not leak the information till it was confirmed. But Sakura asked me to tell you two. She thinks you should know, especially you, Sasuke-kun." Sai told him.

Sasuke stared right ahead, in silence. This was a real surprise for him, Naruto realized.

"Sai, do you know your real name?" Sasuke asked.

"No, I don't remember anything from my past." Sai replied.

"And you have not awakened Sharingan, right?" Sasuke prodded.

"No, I do not have enough feelings for that purpose. But I have been trying to learn to feel normal, like everyone else. And I've quite improved, thanks to Naruto and Sakura. They have taught me what it feels like to have friends or love someone." Sai smiled, this time for real. "Sasuke, I wanted to ask you this. Can you help me to awaken Sharingan?"

The question surprised Naruto. He expected Sasuke to retort back, saying some rude excuses. But what he heard surprised him even more.

"Alright, Sai. We will start your training to awaken Sharingan from today."

"Umm.. but Sasuke, how are you gonna train him?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Genjutsu. With it, I can bring out even the tiniest of feelings which lies forgotten in his subconscious." Sasuke replied, the rudeness in his voice absent for the first time.

"Sai.. I need your eagle!" Sakura yelled, glancing back at them.

"Coming up, Sakura." Sai increased his pace to catch up with her. Naruto saw them discussing pointing to certain directions. Then they stopped and turned to face them.

"There is a river flowing nearby. We will take a break here for now." Sakura announced.

"Alright, Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled.

* * *

**Coming up.. Sai's training! :D It's going to be fun! So keep reading and..**

**review.. *sigh* :/**


	5. Chapter 5

**Feelings**

Naruto felt refreshed as he splashed water from the river on his face. He thought of jumping in the river for a swim, but that would probably make Sakura-chan yell over him. Deciding against it, he walked over to where she was sitting under a tree. She was studying a map, adding her own marks here and there with her pen. Sasuke and Sai were 'training' at a distance, both of them staring at each other. Naruto found it a little funny, but kept his thoughts to himself. He didn't want to start another fight right now.

"Busy, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked her, squatting by her side.

"Hmmm.. Not at all, Naruto, I was just making sure we are taking the right direction. This is so tiresome. Now that I think about it, I've never seen Kakashi-sensei bent over a map, have you? I wonder how he managed.." Sakura bit her lips.

"He is Kakashi-sensei, after all!" Naruto smiled.

"Yeah.. now that he is not with us, I'm sort of missing him." Sakura admitted.

"Me too.." Naruto glanced over at Sasuke and Sai. "They are getting along well since Sai is an Uchiha now." Naruto said, almost sarcastically.

"Yeah.. I had hoped for that." Sakura told him.

"Do you think Sai can activate his Sharingan?" Naruto asked.

"Sai is a genius in everything except emotions. But that is what Sasuke is training him for. I am sure he will succeed." Sakura said optimistically.

"Hah! Then he would become another rival for me!" Naruto sighed.

"Naruto! Don't be so full of yourself! Sai is our teammate. You should be grateful if he awakens that power." Sakura scolded.

"Yeah! Yeah! I know! Just joking, Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned. "Well, I'm going to check over their training.. Wanna come?" Naruto asked her.

"No, Naruto. You go on."

Naruto walked over to where Sasuke and Sai were standing, facing each other. Sasuke had his sharingan activated and Sai looked sort of mesmerized. As Naruto got nearer, Sasuke broke off his genjutsu.

"The feeling.. It.. I've never felt something like that.." Sai was looking amazed.

"Tell me what you felt." Sasuke said.

"It was.. sort of.. happy.." Sai replied.

"To be exact, it is called friendship. Try to remember that. I will bring out another one now." Sasuke focused on Sai again. This time, Sai seemed to feel a little uncomfortable. Naruto stared at Sasuke. This was certainly a weird training, alright.

"Hey! Sasuke! What are you showing him? I wanna see too.." Naruto grinned.

"Shut up.." Sasuke said.

"Hmm.. what was it, Sasuke-kun? I felt weird, almost as if something was burning inside me.." Sai looked confused.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in anger. "You certainly don't feel anything usually, do you?"

"No." Sai gave him his practised smile.

"That feeling you had was of terrible sadness." Sasuke sighed. He glanced at Naruto. "Will you come here for a second?"

"Me? Why?" Naruto raised his eyebrows in suspicion.

"Hug him." Sasuke said.

"Eh! What?! Me? Hug that jerk?!" Naruto shouted, pointing his finger at Sai.

"Just do it." Sasuke ordered.

"Ugh.. Why don't you do it?"

"Because he considers you a friend, not me."

"Huh?" Naruto hesitated, but he went anyways, and grudgingly, wrapped Sai in a hug. It felt weird, like hugging a wooden statue. Sai was as still as only a statue could be. Naruto felt like an idiot. He stepped back as quickly as he could, a little tinge of pink appearing on his cheeks.

"Don't ask me to do that again." He complained.

"That will be enough. Sai, did you feel anything?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes. It was definitely love." Sai replied confidently.

"LIAR-! HOW DARE YOU SAY SUCH A THING!" Naruto yelled, his face turning beet red. Sasuke looked amused. "JUST YOU WAIT! SAI- I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Hmm.. Sai.. You are correct." Sasuke said.

"What! What did you say?" Naruto gaped at him, a sweat dropping down his forehead.

"But it is called brotherly love. It can be linked to the genjutsu I showed you earlier. You get it now?" Sasuke told Sai, completely ignoring Naruto.

"Uh.. Alright.. But I'm not sure I get the difference between this love and the romantic love.. I read that romantic love results in the two persons involved -" Sai started.

"I'm not interested in teaching you what romantic love leads to. That you will just have to find out yourself, alright?" Sasuke said, a microscopic curve appearing on his lips.

Naruto guffowed, unable to hold it in.

"Oh.. I understand. It must be embarrassing for you to tell me. Then I will ask Sakura to hug me. Maybe it will help me out." Sai said, glancing at Sakura sitting under the tree, while Sasuke turned a little pink himself.

"SAI- YOU IDIOT! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto charged ahead to punch Sai. But he was stopped by an amused Sasuke. "Hold it, Naruto."

"What do you mean! I won't let him hug Sakura-chan. I love- umm.. She loves-" Naruto stopped mid-sentence, staring at Sasuke. "..." Sasuke said.

Sai watched the exchange in confusion. "Hmm... I don't really understand.. But that's ok. I know Sakura loves you, Naruto. I have watched her behave protectively for you. And she is always happy when you are around. I just wanted to see what it feels like to hug a girl."

"Sai.. You are getting it totally wrong. Sakura.. she doesn't love me that way. I'm just her best friend." Naruto said, looking at Sai with embarrassment.

"Then I was wrong?" Sai looked more confused.

"I guess we'll continue the training afterwards." Sasuke said, walking away from them.

"Hey! Are you all finished with training? Let's start again, then!" Sakura yelled at them.

"Coming up, Sakura-chan!" Naruto shouted back. He glanced at Sai, who seemed to be thinking so deeply. "Sai! Don't think about it too much, okay? Thinking won't get you anywhere, unless you feel it here." Naruto pointed at his heart. "And Sakura.. she loves Sasuke, not me. Got it?" Naruto smiled at him and raced to Sakura's side. He could almost feel Sai's stare.

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**See that box under this? It is for reviewing! Yes! Go ahead. You can do it! =D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sasuke is back!**

It was getting too dark to see. Sakura slowed down and stopped as her team reached a little stream running on one side, and the remains of a small hut nearby. It seemed deserted.

"We will stop here for tonight." Sakura announced. "Sai, check if there is anything suspicious around. If not, we will set up camp here."

Sai sent some cats to prowl along the area. One by one, they returned. "All clear." Sai confirmed.

"I will go get some firewoods then." Naruto announced.

Sasuke went over to build a tent. Sakura and Sai began discussing the path to take the next day.

Soon the tent was in place and a fire was roaring in front of it. Sakura warmed pieces of meat she had brought along for them to eat. Naruto glanced at his teammates. Sasuke was staring at the fire. Sai was gazing suspiciously at Sakura. Naruto glared at him till Sai noticed and gave him his fake smile.

It was a while before Sai spoke up. "Sasuke, do you love Sakura?" Sai asked him, so casually that Sakura and Naruto stopped eating, transfixed. Sasuke glanced at Sai for a moment, then at Sakura, and finally at Naruto.

"That is none of your business." Sasuke replied, as casually as Sai.

"I just wanted to confirm what Naruto said." Sai said off-handedly.

"WHA- You dumbass! When did I say such a thing?!" Naruto shouted at Sai.

"You said Sakura loved him. I wanted to know if Sasuke had the same feelings for her too.." Sai said.

"S-Sakura-chan.. I-I never meant t-to.." Naruto gulped, seeing Sakura's scary gaze. "U-Uh... Guys... I-I just remembered I didn't wash my hands!" Naruto ran away with a piece of meat in his hand.

"But I'm positive I saw him wash. Why is he lying?" Sai looked so innocently confused that Sakura felt like killing him then and there. She glanced nervously at Sasuke. Their eyes met. That was when the realization hit her. She had avoided him all along during the mission, and that was why she had missed it. His eyes.. It was not the same as it was before she had slapped him. There was a familiar warmth in them, instead of the cold glare she had expected. This.. This was the Sasuke they had wanted to come back.. Tears formed up in her eyes. This was the Sasuke she loved and missed all these years..

"S-Sasuke-kun?" She managed to mouth the words.

"Heh. I'm glad you remember me." Sasuke said casually.

Tears flowed down her cheeks as a turmoil of emotions took over her heart. She curled her fists and closed her eyes. A yelling shook her out of her reverie.

"YOU BASTARD! What did you tell her now? Look- she's crying! I'm not going to stand this any longer, Sasuke!" Unnoticed by her, Naruto was back, and standing near her, pointing a finger at Sasuke. Naruto seemed enraged.

"Naruto, stop it!" Sakura shouted at him. "It is... It is just that.. *sigh* forget it.. I'm not crying because he said anything rude."

"He didn't? But then, why are you crying? Sakura-chan!" Naruto sat down on his knees besides her and peered at her with confusion.

"Well- It's nothing Naruto! I was.. happy, I guess.." Sakura smiled.

"Huh?" Naruto pouted. "What are you so happy about, anyway?"

"You are still a baka, Naruto." Sasuke remarked, smiling.

"How dare you call me a-" Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait, did you just call me a baka?"

Sasuke smirked and turned his head away arrogantly. "Hn."

"Really?" Naruto asked, his face all lit up. Sai stared at them in utter confusion.

"..." Sasuke said, frowning at Naruto.

"SASUKEEEE!" He charged into Sasuke and punched him hard in his stomach.

"WHAT DO YOU THIN-" Sasuke managed to shout before he was enveloped in a bear hug by a enthusiastic Naruto. "TEMEEE! WE MISSED YOU, DUMBASS!" He shouted into Sasuke's ears, grinning as his eyes shone with tears.

Sasuke was speechless for a moment. Then he broke out into a real smile. "Heh.. Me too." He confessed quietly.

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**I loved writing this chapter.. :) :) **


	7. Chapter 7

**Confessions**

Sasuke let Naruto hold him for a long moment before breaking off. Emotions of the past, which he had suppressed for so long, were surfacing up again, reminding him painfully of what he had forfeited in order to take the path of revenge. He found that he still considered Naruto his best friend.. he still loved Sakura...

"I.. failed Itachi again." Sasuke said, quietly.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, staring at him.

"I had made a promise to myself since I found the truth about him. That I would not let his sufferings be forgotten. The way he suffered for the village, for our clan, for me... I could never come to accept that. The least I could do was to taste a little of that pain myself. It was the only way I could repay that gesture of love and honor, even if a little. And for that, I wanted to suffer the pain of being alone and hated.." Sasuke replied.

Naruto, Sakura and Sai stared at him.

"Now I understand why you were being so cold." Sakura said, her eyes wide in realization.

"But I could not succeed in even that. Whatever I did, you two never seemed to leave me alone." Sasuke said.

"Sasuke, you don't have to be so harsh on yourself. Itachi wanted you to return to Konoha, he wanted you to be on the right path.. to live as a shinobi of leaf village.." Sakura said.

"Itachi became a traitor to the village to protect it. He killed the clan for its own honor, and drove me to the path of hatred though he loved me as much as Konoha. There is no way I can forget that.." Sasuke closed his eyes as the now familiar pain surged up inside him. "Whatever my excuses are, I can't escape the fact that I killed Itachi. And how much ever I regret it, it will never be enough." A tear rolled down his eyes. "Because I loved him too.."

"I understand.. Sasuke. I would have done the same if it were me. But even knowing what you wanted, we just can't stop caring about you. You mean that much to us." Naruto said, gazing at him sadly.

Sasuke sighed. "Itachi is always so far ahead of me. Even when I was little I could feel the big difference between us. Now I finally accept it, that I can never catch up to him."

"He was a true hero." Naruto agreed.

They sat silently for a long while, each in his, or her, own world of thoughts.

* * *

Naruto laid down on the grass with his hands behind his head, staring up at the starry sky. Though he was still thinking about Itachi's fate, he somehow felt content. He could almost feel Itachi smile, somewhere far beyond their world. He wished he had known him better. Maybe in the afterlife.. he thought, smiling. He glanced at Sasuke, who was also gazing up at the sky, lost in thoughts. Sakura and Sai had fell asleep nearby them. The fire was no longer burning, a glow remained from the embers it left behind.

"Sasuke.. I think Itachi is happy, wherever he is now.." Naruto told him softly.

"Heh.. from when did you learn to communicate with dead people, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, half smirking.

"Fighting dead bodies were a good training, I suppose." Naruto stuck out his tongue at Sasuke.

"Edo Tensei.. To tell the truth, some part of me is glad Kabuto used that technique. I would have been insanely evil or dead by now if I hadn't met Itachi then." Sasuke pondered.

"Dead by my hands, huh? Don't worry, teme.. I'm not going to kill you on a whim." Naruto joked, quoting Sasuke from back when he was with Orochimaru.

"You really believed it at that time, huh?" Sasuke seemed amused.

Naruto pouted. "You know.. now that I think of it, I feel stupid to have believed it. You could've killed us easily if you wanted to."

"You were an idiot.. But anyway Naruto, I'm glad I've such a good friend in you." Sasuke glanced at him, smiling. "You were the only one who did not give up on me."

"And I'm glad I did not.." Naruto smiled back. They both turned back to the beautiful sky that stretched endlessly above them.

"Hmm.. Naruto.. I wanted to ask you something.." Sasuke said hesitatingly.

"What?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You really love Sakura, right?" Sasuke asked, glancing at him.

"Do you have any doubt?" Naruto asked back, grinning.

"Nopes.. I was just wondering.. Sakura seems to like you more than she used to." Sasuke turned back to the sky.

"Hey! Hey! Don't tell me the great Uchiha Sasuke is jealous of Uzumaki Naruto?!" Naruto laughed.

"I'm not jealous, you dumbass." Sasuke retorted in anger.

"Then what?" Naruto prodded.

"Uh.. Does she still love me?" Sasuke avoided looking at him.

"Nopes. She dumped you when you tried to kill her back then." Naruto lied.

"Oh.. I see.." Sasuke said, acting as if he did not care. But Naruto could detect a different feeling underneath the mask.

"Wow! You actually look sad.. That's great! I'll inform Sakura-chan tomorrow that you love her!" Naruto told him enthusiastically.

"What! Idiot.. I just asked. Don't go telling her such lies." Sasuke actually looked a little bit afraid. This was definitely fun.

"Hmm.. If you don't want me to tell, then let us make a deal. You tell her yourself! How about it?" Naruto asked, his eyes grinning evilly.

"Blackmailer! I'm not gonna tell her." Sasuke was irritated now.

"Hehe.. Teme.. You just admitted you love her!" Naruto chuckled at the confusion on Sasuke's face.

"I didn't."

"You did."

"No."

"Yes."

"Baka. Alright. I'll tell her." Sasuke sighed.

"Yeeaaahh! I knew it! This is going to be real fun!" Naruto cheered.

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**:) The end of the long wait for Sakura is coming up! Please let me know in case you have any suggestions.. :)**


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